A Última Neve da Primavera

One of a trend of "tearjerkers" made in Italy in the '70s starring child (at the time) actor Renato Cestie' (see also "The tree with pink leaves", "The balloons vendor", "White horses of summer", the latter sadly featuring the great Jean Seberg at the very end of her career. The plot in the films is always about "sick/misunderstood/neglected child in an awful adult world" - this specific one is about a terminally ill child brought up by a selfish and career minded father. I got really traumatized when I saw it as a child and to me it represents a true example of manipulative and exploitative film- making. I suppose it would be now considered a cult film in its own genre, as it somewhat verges on the kitsch...

I watched this film about 20 years along with another Italian release 'Last Feelings'. Both films are extremely powerful tearjerkers and were released together in the UK. They affected me so much that I think about them to this day and have recently been trying to track down copies of them - this seems to be impossible, but i still remember them quite vividly. I dare you to watch this film without shedding a tear. Especially the fairground scene at the end. Heartbreaking.

I guess I was 10 yrs old when I saw this movie in Japan. I fell in love with Renato Cestie (was Luca) and I wasn't sure what language he was speaking in the movie (mix of English and Italian? not sure), but I had started learning English then for someday when I happen to meet with Renato, I wanted to be able to communicate with him. Wow, I still remember his fan letter address in Roma, Italy, however, I've never got the answer from Renato tho....haha....

This opportunity didn't bring me to Italy (I've never been there yet!) but brought me to USA to live when I was 20 by myself, but later got married in New York, my husband's family originally came from Italy. We are always talking about someday we've got to go to Italy.

I recently googled "Renato Cestie" and saw some of his recent picture, he doesn't have blonde hair anymore, but still has the same cute smile. Did he got married too and have some kids? Anyway....

God Bless, Renato and just wanted to say Thank You. You were my hope, You were my every motive when I was a kid.

Never thought I'd be looking for this movie after all these years. Yep, I was 11 years old in 1973 when my parents took me to see this movie in a huge cinema in Kuwait.

This movie was so amazingly cheerful yet so, so sad at the end. It makes think about how vulnerable we all are by terminal diseases, including our own beloved children. I guess it left such a big memory in my sole that I thought about it now that I'm 45 years old!!! If you want to cry for sure, watch this movie.

A more recent movie kind of reminds me of this one. The Cure, 1995, is very close to this story.

The Last Snow of Spring was the sweetest and most tender movie I had ever watched. I saw it in 1975 when I was 15 years old and it has stayed with me ever since. Even the music has stayed in my head and my heart. Unfortunately, I have never been able to see again. I have tried Blockbuster, the internet and even HBO but no one seems to have it. Everyone I have ever mentioned it to have said that they never saw it. I was beginning to think that I was the only person that ever watched it. If I could get a copy of the movie to share with my family, please let me know where and how I may get it. I have had my box of tissues waiting for a long time!